Mail box



` 1, 2 May 17,1927. J. HELM ET AL Y 6 8881 MAIL Box Filed June 23. 19254/ My/M f if Z 4 marei L Patented May 17, 1927.

JOHNv HELM AND HENRY c. HELM, `or sfr. Louis, Missoula,

l MAIL Box.

Application filed .Tune 23, 1925.v Serial No. 39,028.

This invention refatesto mail boxes, and more particularly to those ofthe character that are built into the lwal-l of a house and having itsdeposit opening on the outside,

within convenient reach of thecarrier, and

its outlet opening on the inside, with a neat and conveniently arrangeddoor in the wall'.

The invention has for its objects to .improve generally upon mail boxesof this io character; to provide for the utilization of a standardlength of box shell which may be readily adapted and conformed to wallsof various thicknesses; to provide for the interchanging of the frontpanelor wall of the 1.5 box; to provide a novel door structure for thedeposit opening ofthe box; and to attain certa-in advantages as 'willhereinafter more fully appear.

The invention consists in the parts and in the combinations andarrangements of parts hereinafter described and afterwards pointed outwith particularity in the appended claims. Y

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical embodiment of theinvent-ion,.-

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the mail box and theadjacent portions of the wall; Y

Figure 2 is a .horizontal section of the same, the doorfor the depositopening being shown in top plan; d.

kFigure 3 isa fragmentary section of the box shell detached, and thefront panel or wall member of the box in side edge view;

Figure l is a top'plan view of the door for the deposit opening detachedfrom the box; Y Figure 5 is a side edge view of the door; Figure 6 is afront elevation =of the front panel or wall member, a portion of thedoor being broken away to show the deposit opening and particularly thenotch in the vcrtical edge portion at said opening; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspectivey view of one corner portion at theinner end of the box. illustrating the manner of slitting the boxr shellfor the purposeV of flanging the samewhen'securing it to the inside-ofthe wall of the building.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the Vwall of ahouse or other building, which, as shown, is of brick construction. Inthis connection, however, it is to be understood that the box may bealsoapplied to the walls of wooden' or other frame building(S.tructurev Theshell of thebox 2, which. preferably as shown, isl generallyrectangular, extends throughout the width of the wall, and has its innerend portion slitted longitudinally at its four corners, as at 3 (seeFigure 7). The respective portions 4t thereof, between said slits 3, areturned4 at right angles to afford flanges lying against the inner faceof the wall' and may be there secured,

As shown, the `shell of the box may be embedded in mortary or plaster,as at 5, throughout the extenty of the opening provided therefor in thewall, and also embedded in the plaster coating 6 on the inner face ofthe wall (see Figures 1 and i Secured to or about the fianges t of thebox' isa door-frame 7, .in which a door 8 is hinged, 4as at 9, and isprovided with a snitable latch 10. rThis door is for the removal ofthecontents of the box.

In the outer end portion of the box shell 2 is a front panel or -wallmember 11, having a boxlike lflange 1 2 on itsinner side and near itsmargins, which. fits rather snugly within said shell 2. This flange 12is provided Ywith a series of apertures 13 (see Figure 3,) whichregister with corresponding apertures provided in the box shell-2, andthrough which are inserted headed studs or bolts 14, from the outside.These studs or bolts may be provided on their inner end portions withretaining devices or nuts 15, if desired, but the same are notabsolutely necessary, because in the case of ak solid wall of brick,concrete or the like, as shown, the studs are retained in place by theabutting faces of the wall surrounding the box.

ABy the herein above described construction and arrangement, a standardsize box shell 2 may be adopted in practice to cover the range of wallsof different thicknesses, and the front panel or wall member 11 may bemade' interchangeable with other panels of the same general dimensionstothe flange portions 12 which lit within the box shell, but, obviously,of various outward designs and types. That is to say, the front panelmay be like that shown in Figure 6, or, in some cases, forA example,said front panel may obviously havey a marginal extension, either' fromthe top or bottom` as may be desired, in which extension may be mountedapuslibutton for an electric bell. The partic'uf ar details of suchfeatures, however, do not enter of themselves into the presentinvention, and, thercfore,-i't is netvdeeinecl CTI necessary toillustrate the same in the drawings.

In the front panel or Wall member 11 is the deposit opening 16 (seeFigure 6).v I-Iingedly supported on the lower edge portion of thisopening is a closure member'17. This closure member or door 17, as shownmore clearly in Figure 5, has a shoulder portion 18 extending the lengthof its bottom edge; and, extending inward and dov/nward therefrom, is aleaf or plate 19, on the under face of which latter are preferablyprovided protuberances 20 near its opposite inner corners, so as to giveWeight thereto sufficiently to overbalance the front plate or closureportion 17 and thereby normally hold the latter in closed position asshown in Figures 1 and 2.

'Ihe leaf or plate portion 19 is provided to close the deposit opening16 from the inside of the box as the door portion proper 17 is lowered,and, as it is set in angular relation to said door portion, it servesasan effective guard to prevent removal of the contents of the boxthrough the opening 16 vvhen the door is only partially open (see, forexample, the relative positions of the parts as indicated by the dottedlines in li'igaire 1).

In order to facilitate the insertion of apackage, such as a. rollednewspaper, maga- Zine or the like, into the box, an arcuate notch 21 isprovided in the central marginal portion of the leaf or plate 19, `yetleaving sufficient Width to the leaf or plate in the region of the notchso as not to detract from its effectiveness as a guard.

The door portion 17 is of an overall length and Width to completelycover the opening 16 and with considerable overlap about the margins ofthe opening. The leaf or plate 19 is also longer than the length of theopening, and it is accordingly notched at its opposite ends, as as 22(see Figure 4), said notches being of sufficient depth and Width to litloosely about the adjacent edge portions of the panel or Wall member 11at the ends of the opening 16 to permit a free hinging or lockingmovement of the door element; and, in order to facilitate the placing'and removal of the door element,

a notch 28 is arovided in the .marginal )ortion of the panel or Wallmember 11 near the upper side of the opening 16 (see Figure 6). To placethe door element it is only necessary to en gage the notch 22 atl theright hand end thereof with the correspondinglower corner of the opening16, thence tilt the door element so that the left hand edge portion ofthe leaf or plate 19 will enter the notch 23, and. then drop the doorelementuntil its shoulder portion 18 rests on the edge of the panel orWall member 11 at the bottom of the opening 16. To further facilitatethis manipulation the leaf or plate neaaeei portion 19 may be cut offobliquely, as at 24 (see Figures 2 and 4.-).

The placing of the door element must, of course, be accomplished'beforethe studs or bolts 14 are inserted through the apertures 18 intheadjacent side flanges 12; and after the door element is placed and saidstuds or bolts, which, in these instances, are somewhat longer thanthose at the top and bottom of the box, are inserted, their endsoverhang the end portions of the leaf or plate 19 and thereby preventthe removal of the` door element from the panel or Wall member 11. Y

In ease it is necessary to remove said door element, obviously thismaybe readily accomplished by removing said studs or bolts 141, andreversing the manipulation' of the door element as just above describedfor placing it. This, of course, must be done while the box is removedfrom the Wall 1.

Extending across the front panel orwall member 11, above the opening 16is a flange or lip 25 which overhangs the upper odge of the door member17 and serves as a 'Watershed; and the door is obviously provided with afinger-piece 26 for convenience in tipping it. So, too, the front panelor Wall member 11 may be provided on its outer face with a pocket-frame27 having a sight-opening 28 for a name card or plate; or, obviously, asight-opening may be provided in lieu thereof in the panel or Wallmember 11, through Which the contents of the box may be seen.

Vhile the front panel or Wall member 11 is primarily designed for use inconnection with a Wall box of the character described, it is here notedthat it may be conveniently utilized in eases Where it is only desiredto provide a mail slot in a door, thin partition or the like. In suchcases, it is only necessary to cut a rectangular onening in the door,partition or the like, intoV Which opening the flange portion 12 may befitted and secured by driving nails or screws through the apertures 18from the inside, instead of the outside, and into the marginal portionsof the door or partition, as t he case may be, surrounding said panel orwall member.

Obviously, the structure admits of considerable modification Withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the .invention as defined by theappended claims. It is, therefore, not limited to the specificconstruction and arrangement shown .in the accompanying drawings.

)What is claimed is:

1. A Wall panel for mail boxes and the like, having an opening therein,a closure element for said opening, comprisinga door portion proper,having a shouldered bottom edge portion resting loosely and rockably onthe lower edge portion of said opening, said Cil lil)

closure element having notches at its opposite ends coincident with itsshouldered bottom edge portion, said notched portions loosely straddlingthe adjacent side marginal portions of said opening, and retaining studsprojecting inwardly at opposite sides of said opening and overhangingsaid closure element but being normally free of contact therewith andpeiinitting tilting of said closure element.

2. A wall panel for mail boxes and the like, having an opening therein,a closure element for said opening, comprising a door portion proper,having a shouldered bottom edge portion restino' loosely and rockably onthe lower edge portion of said opening, said closure element having anangulai'ly extending plate extension from its shouldered portion, saidplate extension being weighted to overbalance saidv door portion properwhereby to yieldably hold the latter normally closed and to return it toclosed position, said closure element having notches at its oppositeends coincident with its'shouldered bottomedge portion, said notchedportions loosely straddling the adjacent side edge portions of saidopening so as to permit tilting of said closure element, and inwardprojections at opposite sides of said opening overhanging said Closureelement lwhereby to retain the latter in working relation to saidopenino'. Y

3. In a wall panel for mail boxes and the like Vhaving a rectangulardoor opening therein, a closure element for said opening comprising adoor portion proper whose side and top marginal portions overlap thecorresponding marginal portions of said opening in said panel and whosebottom edge portion is shouldered to rest on the bottom edge of saidopening, and a plate extension on the inner side of said door portioninclining rearward and downward therefrom and being weighted toover-balance said door portion so as to yieldably hold the latter inclosed position, said plate extension being longer than the length ofthe door opening in said panel, said closure element having notches atits opposite ends coincident with the shoulder portion thereof so as tofit the adjacent side marginal portions of said opening in said panel,and means for attaching said panel at its opposite sides to a mailreceptacle, said means overhanging said plate extension whereby toretain said closure element in working relation to said door opening insaid panel.

1. The combination with a inail receptacle, of a detachable Wall panelhaving a flange portion on its inner side near its opposite sidemargins, said flange portion having apertures therein for securingstuds, and said panel having a rectangular door opening therein, oneside marginal portion of said opening having a notch therein, a doorelement comprising a door closure plate whose opposite side marginalportions and top marginal portion overlap the corresponding marginalportions of said opening in said panel on the outside of the latter,said door element having a shoulder portion at its bottom edge to reston the bottom edge of said opening in said panel, and a rearward anddownward plate extension on its inner side, said plate extension beinglongerthan the length of said opening in said panel and being adapted toclose said opening from the inside of the receptacle, said door elementhaving notches at its opposite ends coincident with said shoulderportion thereof so as to receive the adjacent marginal portions of saidopening in said panel loosely,

and said plate extension being overhung by the securing studs which areinserted in said apertures in said flange portion of said panel.

'5. In a mail 'box for installation in the wall of a building or thelike, a rectangular box shell for insertion in an opening through saidwall, said box having provision for retaining it at the inner side ofthe wall, a

ront wall panel having flange portions on its inner side fitting withinsaid box shell and having apertures in said flange portions registeringwith apertures in said box shell,

headed securing studs inserted through said y apertures from outside thebox shell, the studs at the opposite vertical sides projecting beyondthe inner sides of said flange portions of said panel, said panel havinga rectangular deposit opening therein, a door element comprising a doorclosure plate whose side marginal portions and top marginal portionoverlap the corresponding marginal portions of said deposit opening insaid panel on the out-side thereof, said closure plate having a shoulderat its bottom edge resting on the bottom edge of said deposit opening,and a rearwardly and downwardly extending guard plate at the rear ofsaid shouldered portion, said plate being of a length longer .than thelength of said deposit opening in said panel, and being overhung by thesecuring studs in the flange portions at the adjacent sides of saidpanel, and said door element having notches at its opposite endscoincident with the said shouldered portion thereof, said notchesreceiving the adjacent marginal portions of said deposit opening in saidpanel loosely so as to permit tilting of said door element.

JOHN HELM. HENRY C. HELD I.

